What is Yolo and is it safe?

Currently enjoying resounding success in the United States and the United Kingdom, Yolo has become the most downloaded application on the App Store. Even if it has only been released for a week. The hype of this Snapchat annex, however, worries specialists. It must be said that the issue of anonymity and harassment has always been a hot topic among teenage surfers.

What is yolo?

But what is Yolo? It is, in fact, a side service of Snapchat that allows users to post video stories. People who see it can then leave comments anonymously. Let’s take an example: a user posts a photo of him and therefore waits for responses from people who may have seen this post. The author of the initial publication will have the choice between responding to comments from these viewers or not.

The user therefore does not know who is the author of the comment. But he can respond to these messages in public. If this process is not completely new to you, it is because it especially recalls the process of Sarahah. This application removed from downloads in 2018, because of several problems associated with cyberbullying .

The founders defend their app, but …The start-up Popshow, the originator of Yolo, sees this tool as a means of “unlocking very good behavior. We believe we are more empathetic and more human than other anonymous apps. “. His only goal: to let Yolo develop and watch user behavior.

However, Protect Young Eyes, a group based in the United States campaigning for the safety of young people on the internet, sees it as a danger. The group asked that the application be accessible only to young users over 12 years of age.

YOLO, THE NEW ANONYMOUS APPLICATION

For the past week, the anonymous Yolo application has been leading downloads. Why is the success of this application worried? Is a so-called anonymous application even developed with kindness a good idea? How to avoid the drifts?

Yolo what is it?

Yolo, “You Only Live Once” , is a companion application to Snapchat. In other words, it is used with the Snapchat application and allows you to send anonymous messages on the social network via stories .Thus, anonymous users can send you messages, leaving you the choice of replying or not.

Why does it worry?

Even developed without bad intentions, a so-called anonymous application can facilitate the dissemination of hate speech and encourage cyberbullying .

For several years, applications of this type have followed one another: tellonym or even Sarahah and very often close after a few months due to numerous drifts. The moderators of these platforms suddenly find themselves faced with a flood of inappropriate, hateful, harassing messages that they are difficult to control.

Our advice: discuss it as a family.

Parents, talk about it with your children to make them aware of the potential drifts of anonymity in this application. Teach them to ask themselves if they would allow themselves to say orally in front of their interlocutor what they dare to write on the internet. If not, the comment should not be sent!

Teenagers, talk about it around you especially if you encounter a situation that does not seem acceptable to you